Essential Oils

February 15, 2018

Perhaps you’ve noticed essential oils making cameo appearances in your yoga classes. Yoga teachers are acknowledging the benefits of and sharing oils in class more frequently than ever. The question is, what oils should you use and why? Essential oils have the ability, much like yoga poses, to uplift, to balance, and to calm. Here are a few essential oils that are widely available and could prove beneficial to your practice.

Lavender - lavender oil has long been used to calm the mind and body. Lavender essential oil can be combined with a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil and rubbed on the temples, bottoms of the feet, and behind the ears to calm the nervous system. This would be a terrific oil to use in a yin or restorative practice.

Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon- Many of the citrus essential oils are intended to awaken and ignite the senses. I have seen these used in early morning power flow classes to wake up the mind and body and to ignite one's energy. You can create a fine mist by adding distilled water to these citrus essential oils and spritzing your body prior to class. Also, consider a few sprays in your hair and on your feet.

Cedarwood - Cedarwood is one of my favorite grounding oils. I use this oil in both yin and vinyasa classes to ground my energy. Cedarwood has a scent reminiscent of earth, soil, and wood. Before a yin practice, place a drop of cedarwood oil (diluted in almond oil) in between your palms, rub them together, then cup your nose and inhale. Rub the oil into your shoulders, the back of your neck, and on your forearms to promote grounding throughout your yin practice.

Peppermint - Peppermint is a cooling essential oil. I prefer peppermint oil diluted with distilled water and sprayed on my feet at the end of a hot, sweaty vinyasa practice. As a teacher, I’ll combine peppermint and orange and spritz clients’ feet during waterfall pose. A precaution with peppermint oil is that is can irritate your eyes. Make sure to wash your hands after handling peppermint oil and to not spray directly into your face or eyes.

There are a handful of resources on the internet for various uses of essential oils, including “recipes” for making your own blends. My “go to” is Doterra Essential Oils; however, there are many other companies offering quality essential oils. Most health food stores carry the above oils so you can get started and go from there. Enjoy!

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Julie Bertagna

Julie Bertagna is a 500 RYT and certified Baptiste yoga teacher who teaches Baptiste power yoga and recovery yoga at Namaspa Yoga & Massage, as well as in her home studio, The Yoga Loft, in Bend. She is a mother and a grandmother, she loves the outdoors, and she still pursues dental hygiene one day a week! In the summer, she spends time at her partner's retreat venue, Vernonia Springs, which puts on retreats and special events. More information about Julie’s offerings can be found on her website: juliebertagnayoga.com

Liz Skarvelis

Yoga is everything to Liz. It's her physical and spiritual practice, her political action, and her love song to both herself and the world. She started practicing yoga in college and grew her roots when she moved to San Francisco in 2008. She practiced Bhakti Yoga (yoga of love and devotion) at Yoga Tree Castro with Janet Stone, who she considers her first and primary teacher. Yoga brings her freedom of mind, stillness of spirit, and strength of being that she strives to share with others. Her classes are soft and strong and everything in between; she includes meditation, breath work, and space to connect you to your truest self. You can also expect a few helpings of (occasionally funny) humor. For more information, go to her website: www.lovebirdyoga.com

Fae Leslie Hoffman

Fae is a butterfly leaf girl. She teaches yoga, cartwheels in the rain, reads ferociously, and is learning how to listen to stillness. Fae has been published in The Southampton Review, elephant journal, Mukha Yoga, and writes best barefoot. She completed her 200-hour teacher training with Leslie Pearlman and is trained in Vinyasa with a fierce Forrest influence. She is also certified in Thai massage and has taught in New York, Thailand, Oregon, Wisconsin, and deep in the backwoods of California. Yoga makes her brave.

Zia Estrella

An exotic stargazer from the land of the intuitive ones, Zia embodies physicality, possibility, and empowerment in lighthearted playfulness. She loves the truth with allherheart and lives it with allherbeing. She grounds down intoherdeep dark Taína roots to rise. Humbled to practice and study yoga since 2007, she lives in wholeness, giving full credit to each and every emotion she experienceswhileembracing the power of the now moment. Shiftingherperspective to realize the eternal inner light within isher Dharma. She got turned upsidedown on the True North path of yoga and she rememberedherPrem - TruthLoveBeauty. This isherdeepest source of empowerment, creativity, joy and peace. May she transform darkness into light throughherown journey and serve all beings everywhere in truth, love and beauty. Learn more at www.ziayoga.io

Heidi Drake

Heidi Drake discovered yoga at the suggestion of her chiropractor and foundedDownward Dog Yoga & Wellness Studioin Sunriver, Oregon in 2017, after obtaining her RYT-250 aerial yoga instructor certification from Aerial Yoga Academy. A lifelong dancer who taught jazz, hip hop, and tap at Sunriver Dance Academy for 9 years, Heidi realized that she needed something a bit gentler on her 50+ year-old body and was pleasantly shocked to find a passion for the strength, flexibility, and mind-body-soul connection yoga offers. When she’s not at the studio or writing, Heidi’s favorite place is on the Little Deschutes river, in her own backyard, with her husband, two teenage daughters, and pack of 4 dogs.

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Adho Mukha in Sanskrit means "Facing", Our name Mukha Yoga came about because in our life's we are all on a journey of some kind and as we stand to look and face them we are reminded through yoga to breathe and flow